Vacuum Therapy Device With Movable Constrained Porous Medium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating internal body defects such as abscesses and abscess cavities, particularly those in the gastrointestinal tract, often require invasive surgery, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates and are not always feasible.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum therapy device with a suction tube and a porous medium, where a constraining sleeve retains the porous medium in a compressed state for easier insertion and expands for treatment, allowing for minimally invasive application of negative pressure to aid in defect closure and fluid removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a porous medium is used to treat internal defects through negative pressure application, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but the device size and insertion difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The porous medium transitions from a compressed low-profile state during insertion to an expanded functional state during treatment. The constraining sleeve is movable relative to the porous medium, allowing it to be in an insertion position during passage through the nasal passageway and a treatment position when the porous medium is expanded for therapy, enabling the device to adapt its form factor to different operational phases
Solution Approach 2:
The porous medium is contained within the constraining sleeve during insertion, with the sleeve surrounding the porous medium in a compressed state. This nested configuration allows the larger porous medium to be housed within a smaller outer envelope, facilitating passage through narrow nasal passageways while maintaining the full therapeutic capability of the expanded porous structure
2Reliability
If the porous medium is kept in expanded state for treatment, then treatment efficacy is improved, but insertion through nasal passageway becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The porous medium dynamically changes volume between a compressed low-profile state for insertion and an expanded high-volume state for treatment. The movable constraining sleeve enables this volume transition by being positioned to compress the porous medium during insertion and then moved or removed to allow expansion during treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The porous medium is pre-compressed within the constraining sleeve before insertion into the body. This preliminary compression reduces the device volume to facilitate passage through the nasal passageway, and the compression is maintained during insertion until the device is properly positioned for treatment
3Reliability
If open surgery is used to treat internal defects, then drainage and infection control are improved, but morbidity and mortality rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical surgical drainage system with a vacuum-based therapy system. Instead of surgical opening and manual drainage, a porous medium coupled to a suction tube applies controlled negative pressure to drain fluids and control infection, eliminating the need for open surgery and its associated risks
Solution Approach 2:
A porous medium is used to apply negative pressure therapy to the internal defect. The porous structure allows uniform distribution of suction force while maintaining tissue contact, enabling effective drainage and infection control through minimally invasive vacuum therapy rather than surgical intervention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device facilitates minimally invasive treatment of internal defects, reducing the need for open surgery and associated risks, enabling effective closure of abscess cavities and removal of accumulated fluids, thereby improving patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a porous medium coupled to the distal portion of the suction tube to provide suction to the defect when inserted into the body for treatment thereof
Implementation Method 2
The constraining sleeve is movable relative to the porous medium between: an insertion position in which the proximal and distal ends of the sleeve are arranged at the distal portion of the suction tube so that the sleeve at least partially surrounds the porous medium to retain the porous medium in a compressed state during insertion into the body
Implementation Method 3
a suction tube extending from: (i) a proximal portion for coupling to a source of negative pressure outside the body, to (ii) a distal portion for providing suction proximal to the defect when inserted into the body
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum therapy device for treatment of a defect internal of a human or animal body, the device comprising: a suction tube extending from: (i) a proximal portion for coupling to a source of negative pressure outside the body, to (ii) a distal portion for providing suction proximal to the defect when inserted into the body; a porous medium coupled to the distal portion of the suction tube to provide suction to the defect when inserted into the body for treatment thereof; and a constraining sleeve for selective compression of the porous medium, the constraining sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the constraining sleeve is movable relative to the porous medium between: an insertion position in which the proximal and distal ends of the sleeve are arranged at the distal portion of the suction tube so that the sleeve at least partially surrounds the porous medium to retain the porous medium in a compressed state during insertion into the body; and a treatment position in which the porous medium is in an expanded state for treatment of the defect.